Hitching-post



(No Model.)

0. P. EBERSOL.

HITGHING POST.

No. 586,480. Patented July 13, 1897.

Jill! UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CYRUS P. EBERSOL, OF KEOKUK, IOWA.

HlTCHlNG-POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,480, dated July 13, 1897.

Application filed June 24, 1896.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CYRUS P. EBERSOL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Keokuk, in the county of Lee and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hitching-Posts and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to hitching-posts, and more particularly to an improved head for hitching-posts.

My object is to provide a hitching-post having a head provided with improved, simple, and extremely strong rein clamping or holding mechanism adapted for quick and easy manipulation and which will hold the rein locked in such manner that it will be impossible for it to become detached.

Having this object in View, my invention consists of certain novel features and combination appearing more fully hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a rein connected to the post; Fig. 2, a plan view with the top of the housing removed; Fig. 3, a vertical section, and Fig. 4 detail views of one of the clamping-jaws.

A designates a hitching-post of any preferred construction, and B my improved hitching-post head. This head consists of two circular sections 1 and 2, which are held together by bolts and nuts 3. The lower section 2 is provided with a hollow cylindrical projection 4, which is received in the upper end of the post and is connected thereto by suitable screws 5. The sections are provided with sets of diametrically opposite and alined rein-slots 6 and 7. The lower section is also provided with arc-shaped racks 8 and 9, which are located in substantial diametrical relation and adjacent to the slots in said section. A pivot-bolt 10 passes through the head centrally thereof and projects into the hollow cylinder 4, being provided with adjusting and jam nuts 11. About a quadrants distance from the rein-slots the respective sections of the head are provided with curved arms forming an ear 12, which loosely receives ring 13. The respective sections of the head are pro- Serial No. 596,668. (No model.)

vided with projections which meet and form a radially-extending partition 14.

The inner faces of the respective sections converge for about a quadrants length on both sides of this partition to form respective pockets and 16. The inner faces of these sections are provided with respective annular recesses 17 and 18 around the pivot-bolt, and the inner end of the partition extends to the edges of these recesses. The inner faces of these sections are also provided with semicircular guide-grooves 19 and 20, which are concentric in relation to the annular recesses before mentioned and are separated therefrom by semicircular ledges 21 and 22. Two openings 23 and 24, formed through the side of the head, constitute, when taken together, a slot which extends around said head for a distance of about two hundred and forty degrees.

There are two rein-clamping jaws 25 and 26, which are duplicates, with a single exception. forming two arms 27 and 28, through which the pivolt-bolt loosely passes. These arms work in the inner annular recess, and the jaw is notched at 29 and 30 to straddle the respective flanges, which define said annular recess. The clamping-jaw 26 is provided at its inner end with a single arm 31, through which the pivot-bolt loosely passes and which lies between the arms of the clamping-jaw. Both jaws 25 and 26 are of practically the same size and shape as the pockets heretofore described, and the rear upper and lower portions 32 and 33 of the jaws are received in the guide-grooves. The outer portion of each jaw projects through its respective slot, and these projections are bifurcated, as at 34 and 35.

The numerals 36 and 37 designate weighted gravity-operated dogs, which are pivoted in the bifurcations of the respective projections and are provided with inner projecting pawls 38 and 39, adapted for engagement with the respective racks on the lower section of the head. The dogs are provided at their upper portions with respective cars 40 and 41, while 42 and 43 designate curved 'lockingarms which straddle said ears, being pivoted there-.

to, and serve to prevent the dogs from being The inner end of jaw 25 is bifurcated,

raised while said locking-arms are in the position shown by full lines in Fig. 1.

The numeral 44 designates an ordinary hitching rein. This rein is first passed through the ring and then down through the slots on one side of the head, After this has been done the dog on that side of the head through which the rein has been passed should be lifted, so that the pawl should be out of engagement with the rack and the clampingjaw forced into the pocket, pushing the rein before it. After the rein has been jammed tightly in the pocket the dog may be allowed to drop, so that it will come in engagement with the rack. The locking-arm can now be drawn up, so that its free end will abut on the upper section of the head, thereby preventing the dog from being raised and the pawls thrown out of engagement with the rack, so that it will be impossible for the horse or animal to loosen the rein from the hitchinghead. If desirable, the rein may also be passed through the other alined slots and locked in the other pocket, but this is generally unnecessary.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a hitching-post provided with a pocket, of a pivoted clamping-jaw adapted to fit in the pocket and hold the hitching-rein therein, a rack formed integral with the hitching-post, and a gravityoperated dog pivoted to the clampingjaw and provided with an arm adapted for engagement with the rack, whereby to hold the clamping-jaw locked.

2. The combination with a hitching-post, of a hollow head therefor, said head being provided with rein-holding slots communicating with its interior, a pivoted clampingjaw inside the head and adapted to abut on a rein received in said slots and to clamp it against the head, and means for holding said clamping-jaw locked.

3. The combination with a hitching-post, of a head therefor, a clamping-jaw pivoted to the head and adapted to clamp a rein therein, a dog connected to the clamping-jaw and 4 adapted for engagement with the head to hold the jaw in locked position, and a locking-arm adapted to prevent the dog from being drawn out of engagement with the head.

4. The combination with a hitching-post, of a head therefor, a clampin g-j aw pivoted in the head and adapted to hold a rein therein, a dog pivoted to the clamping-j aw and adapted for engagement with the head to hold the jaw in locked position, and a locking-arm pivoted to the dog and adapted for engagement with the head to prevent said dog from being thrown out of engagement with the latter.

5. The combination with a hitching-post, of a head connected thereto, said head being provided with a pocket, rein-holding slots, and a slot on its side, a clamping-jawpivoted within the head and adapted to fit in the pocket and hold therein a rein passed through the alined slots, said clamping-jaw being provided with a portion which projects through the slot in the side of the head, a gravity-0perated dog pivoted to the projecting portion of the clamping-jaw and normally adapted for engagement with the head, and a lockingarm pivoted to the dog and adapted to abut on the side of the head and hold the dog and jaw in a locked position.

6. The combination with a hitching-post, of a head therefor, said head being provided with a rack, an inner pocket, a slot in its sides, and two vertically-alined rein-holding slots connected to the side of the head, a clampingja-w pivoted within the head and provided with a portion which projects through the slot in the side thereof, said clamping-jaw being adapted for movement across the rein-holding slots, and a gravity-operated dog pivoted to the projecting portion of the clamping-jaw and normally adapted for engagement with the rack to hold the clamping-jaw locked.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CYRUS P. EBERSOL. lVitncsses:

CHAS. WILLIAM HARTLEY, FRANK C. FIELD. 

